Thursday, October 26, 2017

The Van Buren County SAFE
Coalition was awarded the Iowa Partnership for Success (IPFS) Grant in February
2015 to address underage drinking and underage binge drinking in Van Buren
County. The Van Buren County SAFE
Coalition’s IPFS project is funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health
(IDPH), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

During the 2016-17 Fiscal Year the coalition is continuing to build
capacity and address the five strategies it was funded to work on as follows:

1)Alcohol
Restrictions at Community Events at Privately Owned Facilities: The coalition
has begun working with privately owned facilities to help them implement
alcohol policies focused on the best practices for alcohol service at their
location. Four facilities have
established a “No Alcohol Allowed” policy.
The coalition is working with two other facilities to develop written alcohol
restriction policies and is in contact with three other facilities about
whether or not they would like to develop policies for their facilities.

2)Alcohol
Restrictions in Public Places: The coalition researched what alcohol
restriction policies are being followed in each town and the county. Coalition members visited with each city
council in July to present them with information on policies they could use in
their town that would address the availability of alcohol to youth in public
places, such as public parks and community ball fields. Coalition members will be visiting with the
city councils in January to find out if they are interested in implementing alcohol
restriction policies for their public places.

3)Substance
Abuse Prevention Programs for Youth: The coalition is working with the Van
Buren Community School District to implement the Life Skills Training Program in
the 7th and 8th grades. This program is
a groundbreaking substance abuse and violence prevention program based on more
than 30 years of rigorous scientific research. During the 2017-18 school year
the 7th grade students will be completing Level I of the curriculum and the 8th
grade students will be completing Level II as the curriculum builds upon
itself. The first group of 7th grade
students began the class in September and will complete it on October 4th. The next group of 7th grade students will
begin the class on October 5th.

4)Underage
Drinking Prevention Media Campaign: The coalition has worked with local media
outlets to implement IDPH’s “What Do You Throw Away” underage drinking
prevention media campaign. It is currently
displayed on the billboard in Keosauqua; posters in the Van Buren County
Hospital & Clinics; posters and screensavers at local libraries; posters,
electronic billboard ads, and computer backgrounds at the Van Buren Community
Middle/High School; posters at the Lacey Keosauqua State Park; and posters in
local convenience stores.

5)Social
Host Ordinance: A Social Host Ordinance would address the problem of adults
knowingly providing a place for an underage drinking party. The coalition currently is working to educate
community members and government officials on why this ordinance would be
helpful in Van Buren County.

For more information on the Van Buren County IPFS Project
or to join the coalition and its work please contact the SAFE Coalition at
319-293-6412 or info@vbsafecoalition.com.

This Halloween, the
SAFE Coalition is reminding Halloween partiers that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. If your Halloween party involves
alcohol then you have to make a plan to get home without getting behind the
wheel.

If you
want to stay safe this Halloween then make a plan to get home without driving
if you’ve been drinking. Even one drink impairs judgement, so plan to get home with
a designated a sober drive. Buzzed driving is drunk driving, so think ahead to
stay safe.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), 43 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween
night (6 p.m. October 31st – 5:59 a.m. November 1st) from
2009 to 2013 were in crashes involving a drunk driver. On Halloween Night alone
119 people lost their lives over that same period. Children out trick-or-treating
and the parents accompanying them are also at risk as 19 percent of fatal
pedestrian crashes on Halloween night (2009-2013) involved drunk drivers.

It is illegal everywhere in America to drive with a blood
alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. In 2013, 10,076 people were
killed in drunk driving crashes. Even if you drive drunk and aren’t killed or
seriously injured you could end up paying as much as $10,000 for a DUI.

Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving, so follow these
simple tips to stay safe:

·Plan
a safe way to get home before you attend the party.
Alcohol impairs judgement, as well as reaction time. If you’re drunk you’re
more like to choose to drive drunk.

·Designate
a sober driver or a call a sober friend or family member to get home.

·Walking
while impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober
friend to walk you home.

·If
you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement when it is
safe to do so.

·If
you see someone you think is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and
help them get home safely.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

On
Saturday, October 28, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. the Van Buren County
Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public its
14th opportunity in 7 years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their
homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription
drugs. Bring your pills for disposal to the
Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office at 907 Broad Street, Keosauqua, IA 52565. The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles/sharps,
or inhalers, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last April Americans turned
in 450 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites
operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement
partners. Overall, in its 13 previous
Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 8.1 million
pounds—more than 4,050 tons—of pills.

This initiative addresses a
vital public safety and public health issue.
Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to
diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are
alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due
to these drugs. Studies show that a
majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends,
including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now
advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing
them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety
and health hazards.

For more information about the disposal of
prescription drugs or about the October 28th Take Back Day event, go
to the DEA Diversion website or contact the SAFE Coalition at info@vbsafecoalition.com or 319-293-3334 ext. 1017 or contact the Sheriff’s
Office at 319-293-3426.

Hash oils and marijuana waxes are often produced in what are called
Butane Hash Oil labs. Butane gas is a
highly flammable component used in the process of making concentrates from the
marijuana plant. An increasing number of
BHO labs are being reported in the western United States, as are BHO lab fires,
explosions and injuries. In Iowa, law
enforcement is reporting BHO lab activity in some communities.

While marijuana concentrates are relatively new, one recent study of
high-potency marijuana (16% THC) showed a psychotic disorder was five times
more likely among regular daily users, and three time more likely among weekend
users. (Kings College, London, 2015) The
effects of using marijuana containing lower THC levels have become well
documented by research. (“Adverse
Effects of Marijuana,” New England Journal of Medicine, June 2014) Some of these are: Short Term – impaired
short-term memory, impaired motor coordination, altered judgement, paranoia and
psychosis (in large doses); Long Term – addiction: 9% for all users (17% of
teens), altered brain development, cognitive impairment (lower IQ) among
frequent users during adolescence and symptoms of chronic bronchitis.

THC extracts smuggled from other states and BHO lab remnants are being
found with increasing frequency in Iowa.
The Iowa Crime Lab reports an upsurge in the number of marijuana
submissions involving concentrates in the form of marijuana oils, waxes, vaping
cartridges, candies and other food items (some labeled for sale and some
home-made). (Iowa Department of Public Safety,
Division of Criminal Investigation, May 2015)